A Trip Around the Baltic: St. Petersburg, Russia

Hello again! It's Gabe here, as we continue our journey around the Baltic we make a stop in St. Petersburg, Russia!

NOTE: This post focuses mostly on information, if you would like to see more pictures, check out a previous post here.

St. Petersburg Overview

St. Petersburg is one of the most famous cities in the Baltic region, and rightly so - as there is a plethora of sites, activities, and history for visitors to take in. Since St. Petersburg is situated where the Neva River meets the Baltic Sea, the city contains many bridges and canals, which is why St. Petersburg is sometimes referred to as the "Venice of the North". St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia for two stretched of time, from 1713 - 1728, and from 1732 - 1918, giving it a very significant role in Russian and Baltic history. St. Petersburg is sure to intrigue visitors!

St. Petersburg Must Do

Pictures from the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

In St. Petersburg there is a huge variety of sites and activities for visitors, so this section will only cover some of the most popular sites. Firstly, no one can visit St. Petersburg without swinging past arguably the city's most famous landmark, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, which is pictured above. This church has a very ornate and intricate exterior and interior; one of the most striking aspects is the onion domed steeples which are most commonly associated with Russian churches. Another very famous site in St. Petersburg is the Hermitage museum, which is considered to be among the world's best art museums, and is the second largest in the world. The Hermitage was founded in 1764 when Catherine the Great took possession of a large collection of artwork from a Berlin merchant. The Hermitage is a very popular location for guests in St. Petersburg, thus bringing upon the reputation of having pickpockets present, so keep an eye on those belongings. Also make sure to take photos of the artwork without flash, inevitably someone nearby you will do so and you'll know why to turn off that flash.

More off the radar St. Petersburg

In this section I will discuss some the more off the radar activities that St. Petersburg has to offer. Firstly, one can partake in a Neva River cruise, which will provide some great views of the city, as there are many sights located right on the Neva River, such as the Hermitage. Plus a river cruise is a great way to bypass the notorious St. Petersburg traffic. Another off the radar activity would be to go shopping along the Nevsky Prospekt, which is a major street in St. Petersburg that contains many shops, and is a place where one could go to find their ideal Russian souvenir to show off to their friends! Another off the radar location in St. Petersburg that would provide a great St. Petersburg experience is the Peter and Paul Fortress. The Fortress was founded by Peter the Great in 1703, and in the 1920s it was used as a prison of sorts under the Bolshevik government, after the Russian revolution.

I hope you enjoyed our look at St. Petersburg! If you want to take a further look at St. Petersburg, we have a previous article here. Thanks for reading along, and as always leave a comment below!